The French are celebrating 25 years of the TGV
It has woken sleepy provincial towns, shrunk the map of France and even promises to matchmake lonely passengers. France’s high-speed train, the TGV, is 25 today.
The TGV is stylish in a way only the French can achieve; compare with the bulbous German ICE or the bland Italian Pendolino. It’s an iconic train who’s distinctive image is recognisable all over the world, a classic like the Japanese Series 0 Bullet Train or the EMD F-Units.
Sadly the news today from neighbouring Germany is much more tragic. The prototype for the next generation of high-speed rail travel, the Maglev, has suffered a 120 mph crash. The death toll is reported as high as 16, more than half the people on board.
